Utah has asked for federal help, mostly so farmers can buy feed for cattle.
President Roosevelt's Government began lending them money to buy feed and when none was available ended up buying the cattle.
A severe drought followed, making it too expensive for many remaining farmers to buy feed to expand their herds.
To raise more cattle on less land, California dairymen buy feed instead of following the traditional practice of growing it themselves.
But they used it to buy feed for hogs.
"I will have to buy feed for my cows this fall and winter."
To stay in business we would have to buy feed, and we didn't have the money.
All this will mean mounting costs to buy feed they would have grown, said one son, Mark Magnan.
Mrs. Murtinah's family sold one of its goats to buy feed for the two that remain.